Fairest
by kaitlyn712
Summary: A part of Fairest in Jared's POV where he is taking Mina to the woods. Sorry for the really un-unique name. All rights go to Chanda Hahn.
1. Chapter 1

**So here is a part from Fairest in Jared's POV, again. I will add another chapter as soon as I'm done and it will be the whole forest scene and then a one shot set in the very end of it where she finishes the quest. **

I do not own these characters or plot- all by Chanda Hahn!

Jared leaned against the wall, watching the crowd walk by. He was waiting for Ever, probably the only person close enough to him to even be considered friends. Except maybe Mina- sometimes. He saw the short pixie push her way past the crowd towards him. A brown haired girl just as short as her was too busy watching a certain blonde friend and another blonde enemy to watch where she was going.

They collided and Jared smiled briefly before hiding it as he watched Ever say something to Mina. Mina frowned and opened her mouth to say something back, probably an apology but she shut it as soon as she saw Ever headed towards Jared. He mentally laughed as she stopped cold in the middle of the hallway, watching them, and hardly bothering to cover herself.

Ever walked over to him and said something, but he wanted to see what Mina's reaction would be if it appeared he and Ever were more than friends. They had once been, but not anymore.

"What?" he put on a flirty smile and leaned closer to her way more than he should have.

"I can't believe that the stupid Gimp is a girl. It's a wonder she's still alive," Ever noticed the extra attention and played along, though not realizing it was just a game.

Jared saw Mina with a stunned look. He leaned even closer to the pixie and put his mouth right next to her ear, his lips were hidden by her short black hair. "I think she's going to do it."

Ever's eyes went wide. "What… Jared if she breaks it then you'll be in danger and…" He stopped listening as he saw jealousy flash across Mina's beautiful face. It was hardly any that she showed, but Jared had opened up his 'bond' with her to feel her emotions. Jealousy was definitely there, and curiosity.

"Ever, relax. I'll be fine, I promise." He pulled her in for a hug, trying to make it feel as less-intimate as possible, but look like so much more. When Mina ducked her head and walked away, Jared slowly pulled back.

Ever started talking about a biology class she had to do a dissection in but Jared stopped listening when he saw Mina, again. She walked briskly, trying not to be noticed. He smirked as he realized she had gone the wrong way. He knew she was watching him, but she tried to hide it. Her hands were clutching her books so tightly he thought it would bend the spine.

He didn't see Mina the rest of the morning until lunch. He sat at a table full of oblivious boys whom he just ignored. He was watching Mina, who was watching Nan and Savannah White. He had figured out her plan a little while ago and almost wanted to laugh at her for being so wrong. She needed to make better judgment. Sure, Savannah was the princess of the school, but Nan was the fairest of them all, meaning the popular kids.

He watched in satisfaction as Mina walked over and hit an apple out of Savannah's hand. The apple rolled on the floor and landed at his shoe. He caught Mina's eye, and cleaned the apple before taking a bite, laughing at her. The glare that she gave him let him know that today, they were not friends.

Jared skipped his last class and went outside to the motorcycle. He changed it into a mustang and waited, a little less than patiently for the school day to end. He thought about what he had found out a few days ago: a reaper was in the human world. He had no doubt that it was his parent's idea. He had to find a way to throw its scent of Mina so she would be okay. He still didn't want her to die, and there was no way that she could beat a Grimm Reaper. Jared thought he had an idea, but she would hate him for it, and she already didn't trust him.

Finally he saw Mina walk outside among the students and rush over to her bike. He pushed the gas and showed off his driving skills, stopping in front of Mina. She waited for the window to roll down and stepped back in surprise when she saw it was him_. Who else would it be?_ he vaguely wondered before leaning over the seat to talk to her. "We need to talk."

She glanced behind her before answering. "No, I don't think we do."

"Yes we do, and if you don't stop avoiding me, you are quickly going to be in over your head again."

"What do you mean 'again'?"

He sighed at her cluelessness. "Can't you feel it? The storm brewing, the accumulation of power- the Story is building up toward another quest for you."

Mina shivered, "Yeah, I know. It's not my first rodeo. I'm way ahead of you, and I've already got it covered."

He filled his voice with sarcasm. "Oh you mean taking care of it the way you did today in the lunchroom? You are way off track and obviously don't understand how these things work." She gave him a dirty look. "Get in the car. I'll drive you home and we can talk."

"How do you know there's another quest coming? You haven't been very forthcoming with information yet." She pointed at him accusingly.

He spoke as he leaned forward to open the door for her. "I'll explain later. Just get in." Why was she being so difficult? He could see her thinking.

Finally, she nodded. "What about my bike?"

He followed her pointing finger and saw the red Schwinn on the bike rack. He thought about it. Ever could drop it off. "It will be back on your apartment landing before morning, but we need to talk and we need to talk soon."

"Just give me a minute," she turned around to replace the lock on her bike before sliding into the car. Jared saw Brody Carmichael walk out of the school aquatics building. Mina buckled her seatbelt and Jared had an idea. He revved the engine of the car before speeding towards Brody. He jumped back at the last second and Jared had to hold back a laugh. He saw Mina's surprised face and continued speeding down the road.

Mina was quiet for a while before asking questions. Her first one surprised him. "Where did you get the car?"

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you have a black motorcycle. I even saw you crash it and yet somehow you've been riding the same bike the last few weeks. I have never seen you drive a car before today, so where did you get the car?" He didn't answer until she spoke again. "Did you steal it?"

"No! I did not steal it."

She crossed her arms and continued to annoy him. "Then where did you get it?" Didn't she have more useful questions for him besides the stupid car? He didn't want to tell her about all of his magic yet, they weren't that close.

"It is none of your concern!"

"Of course it's my concern. I need to know if I'm consorting with a criminal!"

Jared was trying very hard to not laugh. "Mina, you know I'm not a criminal!"

"No, I don't. You've made certain that I know very little about you. For instance, who's the girl?" she asked. He felt a spark of happiness that she cared- sort of.

Instead of showing it, he smirked and pretended to be innocent. "What girl?"

"The one you were practically making out with in the hallway at school." Jared cringed at her words. Ew, not Ever, not now.

"Jealous much?"

"No! I just wish you would tell me things," she sounded defeated. He felt bad for having to lie and hide things from her all the time. Jeez, ever since her met Mina he had been feeling guilty a lot.

"It's none of your business who I hang out with. It's safer that way," he squeezed the steering wheel in anger and turned sharply.

She slammed into the door. "No, what would be safer is if you would slow down!"

Oops. He released the gas a little bit. "Her name is Ever," he said reluctantly.

"Who is she?" Why did Mina have to be so curious? Did she actually care?

_No, stupid, she hates you and doesn't trust you. Why would she care?_ He was getting agitated. Mina made him feel so… weird. He wasn't sure exactly what he felt, but it was unfamiliar and when she was so close to him it was so annoying and took all of his self-control to not scoop her up and kiss her. Wait, what?! Where the hell did that come from? "No one you should worry about," he said a little too harshly.

Her eyebrows pinched together in anger and she tensed. He knew she was mad now. "I've heard your pathetic excuses before. You sound like a broken record. You can't tell me, or won't tell me? Oooh it's not safe if you tell me…" He zoned out on her rant until it was over. "-and I want answers now!"

"You won't like any of them."

"Then why ask me to get in the car?" she crossed her arms.

"Because I needed to speak with you privately." And hide you until the reaper is gone.

"This is private. We are in a car _alone_." Jared was very aware of that fact; she didn't have to emphasize it.

"No, this isn't private enough. There are too many people. We need to be where no one can see us." That was part-true.

"Jared, you are really starting to scare me."

Damn it. He hit the steering wheel and she jumped. "That's exactly what I'm trying not to do. I'm trying to give you answers, and I don't want to scare you, but you are just so darn impatient."

She looked at him, "I don't care if I like the answers- I just want answers. I don't even know if I can trust you, if you are on my side." She lowered her voice for that part. Ouch, that hurt. A lot. "Well are you?"

"Am I what?" he rushed out.

"On my side?"

"Who says there has to be sides?" Jared was trying to avoid her question. He didn't want her to fail and he was bound to the Grimoire, so yes, he was on her side. But getting technical with who he really was… not on her side.

"Of course there are sides. You are either with me or with the evil Fae who are always trying to kill me."

"Not all of us are trying to kill you-" crap! Oh well, she probably figured out he was Fae anyway. Using magic in front of her might have given it away. "It's just… complicated. Hey, there's an ice cream place up here. Do you want ice cream?" It was a lame attempt and he knew it.

Mina looked out the window. "Yes, actually I do want ice cream." She was a terrible liar and he knew it.

He pulled the car up and parked it. "Great what do you want?" He randomly named flavors that he knew of.

She looked out the window, towards the bus station and then back to him. "Hmm, how about black raspberry chip?"

"Great I'll be right back." He took the keys- as if that would make her stay- and walked inside. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her sneak out and run behind the building. He walked out and got back into the car. The bus pulled away and he followed behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Jared followed the bus for several hours. He was getting bored but finally he saw the last stop ahead. He drove around the bus, speeding up and pulled over. Jared closed his eyes for a moment; Mina was asleep. He hopped out of the car and leaned casually against the stand wall. The bus stopped and the doors swung open. The man looked at him expectantly. Jared climbed the stairs and stood in front of the driver.

"Do you have money?" he asked.

Jared looked him in the eyes. He gathered power and focused on bending this man's will. "I don't need money. Get off the bus, and go home. You won't remember any of this."

The driver blinked before standing up. He walked off the bus and started down the road. Jared slid into his seat and glanced behind him. Mina was still asleep and was leaning against the window. She looked so peaceful, he felt guilty yet again when he realized what she would be waking up to. He sighed and drove the bus away, speeding down the road.

He glanced up after hitting a particularly nasty pothole. Mina had woken up, and she was looking around disoriented. _Show time,_ he thought before shifting into an ogre. While driving he had come up with a plan to not only save her from the reaper, but to also earn her trust.

"Excuse me! I'd like to get off!" He ignored her, but she stood up and walked forward. "Sir, if you could pull over at the next stop, I would like to get off now." When he ignored her again she touched his shoulder.

Jared spun around and saw the fear in her eyes. "Behind the yellow line." He tried to not laugh at the sarcasm he could pull off while in a stupid ogre form. She stumbled back and fell, but he kept driving.

He heard her scramble back but when there was a whoosh of air, Jared turned around. She had opened the back emergency door and was going to jump out. He stood up and grabbed her bag as she did, thankful that she was so lightweight, and pulled her back in as she screamed. He sat back down at the wheel just as the bus started going off the road.

He made some more random turns into a forest before stopping the bus. When he turned to her, she held up the Grimoire, expecting it to help her. She screamed in terror and Jared decided this had gone on too far. She was getting hysterical. He picked Mina up and tried to get her attention. When she started struggling, he didn't know what to do. She hit him with the book and he started to lower her. He wasn't expecting her to kick him in between the legs.

_OW! The one time she fights back…_ his thoughts trailed off as he watched her run away, pausing to grab the Grimoire and then running into the woods. He took off after her, speeding up when he heard her scream. Crashing through the woods, he saw her falling over a cliff edge. He reached over the edge for her, but she pulled away. After two more tries, he was getting mad. Mina could not die because of his stupidity. She couldn't.

He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "Mina!" She looked up in wonder and he shifted back into his human form. God he was so stupid, he had to get to her. "I can't get to you in this form- you're too far away! Can you climb up farther?"

She looked relieved and then furious. "You jerk! How dare you! If it weren't for you I wouldn't be in this predicament!" She was right, but now was not the time to admit it.

"Stop arguing and get up here! Now is not the time to berate me, there's plenty of time to do that later! Give me your hand!" Why wouldn't she listen to him? She thought for a moment before reaching for his hand. Then she slipped.

"NO!" he watched her fall into the water. Damn it! He couldn't swim, but he had to try to save her. Jared shifted back into an ogre form and dove in after her. He struggled in the water for a few minutes. Something moving caught his eye and he growled in frustration. Would she really rather him drown as punishment for his stupid plan? He pulled himself to the edge, sputtering as he shifted back into human form. "You could have shouted to me that you were okay, instead of sitting here all safe and sound, making me look like a fool!"

She was fighting with her shoelaces. "You are a fool!"

Okay, he deserved that. "Point taken, but I thought you were dead." Jared felt lost at the thought of her being gone.

"And I thought you were dead, so we're even." He saw her shivering uncontrollably and leaned over to help.

"Here, let me."

"Don't touch me!" she pulled away and hit him with a soaking wet sneaker.

He was very aware that they were inches apart now. "I won't." He threw his hands up in fake surrender.

"What happened to the bus driver?"

"Uh. I tricked him into getting off a few stops ago and I took his place."

"And you can just do that? Change into his form and take his place?" she was freezing and he felt horrible.

"Yeah, _I _can- it's that easy."

He explained what he had done before she stood up to look around. When she started walking away, he stood up, too. "Where are you going?"

"Home, I have to get out of here. My mom will be worried sick," she started climbing up the river bank.

He took the lead, pretending he was trying to help her get home. Jared could easily flash her home, but he needed to throw off the reaper. "I think we're lost," he finally said when he knew it was true. He turned to her. Mina was about to fall over from exhaustion. "You are done in."

"No, I have to get home!" he could barely understand her, she was shivering so badly.

"Mina, your lips are blue!" he briefly thought about how it would be to kiss her to warm them up. "I'm so dense, I forgot how frail you humans are." Jared grabbed her freezing hand and pulled her over to a small cave. He made it bigger and shoved her inside.

He pulled out a lighter and started a fire. Mina mumbled something unintelligible but leaned in so close Jared thought she would catch on fire. He grabbed her hands and started rubbing them, enjoying how close they were.

"Are you sick?" Jared looked up at her in confusion. "You are so hot."

He smirked. _I know I am,_ but he answered seriously. "No, I can make my body temperature rise to warm me." He suddenly decided to give her his shirt, thank goodness he had another one on underneath. "Put this on." She tried to protest. "That wasn't a request. Here, I'll walk over there." He walked towards the river until he was sure she was changed. "I think we should stay here until morning. We aren't making good time, and you need to get dry."

They briefly had an argument about her mother before she crawled into the cave. "Hey, is there room for me?"

"No! Don't even think about it. And just because you got us into this, you can keep watch and tell me if you see anything."

"Fine!" An idea was already forming in his mind to sleep in that cave with her. He started babbling about random things he saw.

Mina sat up. "Jared?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to shut up?"

"Nope." He smiled.

"Will you shut up if I said please?"

"Probably not."

"Fine, then you can sleep in the cave if you promise me that nothing is going to eat us," she moved over to give him room.

"I promise if something comes to harm us during the night, I will eat it instead," Jared climbed in, trying to not touch her. Being this close was already tempting, he didn't know what would happen if they touched. _Wait, what? God she's making me think the craziest things. She hates me and that's why I am going to not touch her, end of story. _He lay down and faced away from her. There was about ten seconds of peace before she started questioning him.

He felt her shiver slightly and then start her interrogation. "So how come you never told me you are an ogre?"

"You weren't ready."

"And what made you decide to tell me now?"

"I was tired of you always being angry with me because there are some things I can't tell you. And in a way, I wanted you to know." He was serious, for once not trying to manipulate the truth. There was still so much he didn't tell her though. "You also have to remember that I'm not gonna win homecoming king in my Fae form." Ah yes, ruin the moment with a joke.

"So how come the Grimoire didn't work on you? Isn't it supposed to protect me when I'm in trouble?" This was a touchy subject.

"It won't work on me." And you weren't in any real trouble.

"Why not?"

"Cuz I'm cool like that," he laughed, hoping she would drop the subject.

She sighed, sounding annoyed now. "Jared come on, don't evade my question. I actually thought that you might be truthful with me for once."

Why couldn't she just be grateful for what he was telling her? "Mina, I don't know what to tell you other than the Grimoire can't harm me. Call it ogre power if you must."

"It can't, or won't?"

"Both… Neither. I don't really know what you're trying to get at," Jared sighed. He lay quietly while she told him her fears. He was surprised when she opened up to him. Maybe she was starting to trust him. It seemed like it.

Eventually she was quiet. He could hear her crying softly, but she soon fell asleep. He felt her shiver, and when he was sure she was asleep, he picked her up gently, trying to keep her warm. This was bad, he couldn't feel this way about Mina Grimm, whatever 'this way' was. If she finished the quests, he would have to leave her and go back home. If she didn't finish the quests, that meant she would be dead and he would still lose her. He was in trouble, serious trouble.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys... I am so sorry it took me so long to update! After this chapter I'll do at least one more of the forest scene and then the part of the very end of Fairest. Hopefully it will be faster than last time. **

**And if you have any ideas for my other one-shot stories, leave a comment and I'll try! I have to admit, most of them are going to be from Jared, but I'm going to try to get other characters' POV's, too. I have a whole list of ones I plan to do so stay tuned! Thanks so much!**

Jared stayed awake for most of the night. He dozed off until Mina rolled over closer to him. He looked at her in surprise. She was still shivering slightly, so he held her until the sun had been up for a couple hours. Jared gently put her down and climbed out of the cave. He caught two fish and started cooking them when Mina woke up. She looked adorable, with her brown hair slightly knotted and messy from sleeping. Her eyes were squinted against the sun and filled with sleep. He smiled when he saw that she still had his shirt on, and it looked good on her.

"How did you catch that?" she pointed to the fish.

"I was a Boy Scout," Jared held up three fingers, hoping he did it right.

"I highly doubt that. For one reason, I don't think you would have the patience to sit through all of those club meetings. Besides, if you were a boy scout we would already be out of here."

"You're right, I'm not," he admitted. "I was too much of a troublemaker to be a Boy Scout. Let's just say I'm a bit of an Ogre achiever and my good looks helped get you breakfast."

She kneeled down across from him. "Hey I'm not going to question food as long as it ends up in my belly." She took the fish he handed her on a piece of bark. When they had both eaten and drank enough river water, he kicked out the rest of the fire.

They made some distance up the river bank until Mina broke the silence. "So tell me about the quests. You said that you knew one was coming, how is that?"

"Well, because I'm Fae-" no use trying to deny it now. "-and I can feel the build-up of power, and you should be able to as well. It's like a tidal wave that pulls back and builds. All you get is a glimpse of small waves starting to form, followed by silence and then the storm." What she didn't know was they were about to enter the silence part.

She nodded, "I've felt it and I think I've always been able to feel it. For me it starts out as a tingling sensation throughout my body, or like being covered in static cling. It's been happening ever since my dad died. There was always this feeling of someone watching me."

Jared kicked a rock angrily. That was because the Story had kept a closer-than-normal eye on her. Mina had potential, he knew that now. But that also made her dangerous to his own safety. "Well, yes. That probably would've been the Story you were feeling. The Fae aren't without some pity. It was probably waiting, checking up on you and biding its time until all of the perfect elements were in place. It has learned to wait until the Grimms have gotten older before unleashing a quest on them. The young ones aren't any fun." He probably shouldn't have added that part…

She stopped and turned to face him. "Do you mean that you've made children try to solve the quests? That's horrible! I almost didn't survive it!"

"Wait not me!" he put his hands up in surrender. "I didn't make children do anything. Like I said, this was long ago and is one of the reasons the Story decided to wait before assigning another quest." Mina still looked furious, as if he had done something. "Many of the Grimm children did overcome the quests, but most didn't. A lot of the Fae didn't like that the Story started on the Grimms at such a young age. Remember there are quite a few factions in our world that are pro-human. So the Story started waiting until the next Grimm came of age." Jared tried to get her to calm down; he didn't feel like having her be mad at him today.

"And what is the right age?" she sounded mad.

"Sixteen."

"But I was fifteen when all of this started! It was my sixteenth birthday when I beat the Hansel and Gretel and Red Riding Hood tales!" she ran slightly to catch up to him.

Jared didn't know exactly why Teague had started Mina's turn earlier. He had a few theories, though none of them made total sense. "What can I say; you're kind of a remarkable girl. You happened to catch the Story's attention a little early," he shrugged nonchalantly and put his hands in his jeans pockets. He turned his face slightly, trying to hide the slight blush that had appeared out of nowhere. _Stop it!_ he screamed at himself.

When Mina stopped to sit on a boulder, he saw she was blushing too. He leaned against a tree as she pulled her still damp sneaker off. He felt slight raindrops splatter every couple seconds. He decided to fill the silence with a story. "Did you know that the first Hansel and Gretel were actually Fae, and it was the old woman who was the Grimm?"

"What are you talking about? That doesn't sound right," she replaced her shoe and pulled her knees to her chest, leaning her chin on her arms which, she had wrapped around herself. Jared kept his eyes closed, because when she looked at him like that, he couldn't help the overwhelming emotions in his chest.

"This is where it can get a little confusing and quite funny. In the very first quest, Hansel and Gretel were thieves and murderers, like, um-" What were their names? Oh, "-Bonnie and Clyde. But because Hansel and Gretel were Kitskin, child-like Fae that never grow old in appearance, no one ever suspected them. Your namesakes figured it out. The Kitskin never robbed the same house twice, and it was usually only the elderly they robbed. It was Wilhelm who thought of a plan to catch them. He had Jacob dress like an old woman and lure the Fae to his front door with the offer of sweets." He almost laughed at the memory of seeing the quest. Mina, however, laughed out loud. He opened one eye and pretended to be annoyed at her interruption.

She stopped laughing and he continued the story. "Hansel and Gretel looked inside and were tempted by all the jewelry and money the Grimms happened to have laid out on the table. Later that night, Hansel and Gretel snuck back into the house to kill them and make off with the loot, but instead they were trapped by the Brothers in a magical cage and oven, thanks to the Grimoire." He couldn't help sounding smug, it really was a brilliant trap. The Grimms had never known he was the one who had built it, of course. They all thought the book did it all.

"It sounds so easy when you tell it that way. Way easier than my own Hansel and Gretel encounter." Jared gave her another annoyed look and she shrugged, covering her mouth. He absentmindedly picked up a branch off of the floor.

"Yes, they do sound pretty easy, but remember not every quest can be completed. They aren't all deadly quests, and you do get a chance to retry them." Mina's hand shot into the air like a school student. He waited a few seconds before answering her. "Okay, now you can ask a question." He pointed the branch at her.

"So what about Claire?"

That was an odd question, but he answered it anyway. "Claire was becoming a loose end and dangerous. Unfortunately because this is the human world, the Fae don't have to answer to anyone." _Except I have to._ "So the Story will try to push these particular Fae into your path, hoping you will eliminate them for the Fates." Jared knew the Fates were behind this, not Teague. He just wanted power, he didn't care how he got it. The king and queen were behind the eliminating scheme.

"So I'm like the Ghostbuster for the bad Fae that your King and Queen can't control anymore. They purposefully send them my way and hope I will trap them in the Grimoire."

"Yeah, it's kind of a win-win. The Grimms need adversaries and the Fae need a few less… um, bad guys. There has to be an equal balance. That's why so many of them want the Grimoire, because with it, they too can trap their enemies within its pages. There are also a few other perks or rumors about the Grimoire that make them want it… but none of them are true," he said the last part a little too quickly, not wanting Mina to realize his secret. If anyone ever got the Grimoire, not only could they get their enemies, but they could control him. He had no choice but to listen and he couldn't even defend himself. Some might think they could blackmail the Fates with his life, but they didn't care. And Mina would die because he couldn't protect her.

Mina raised her hand- again. He nodded at her. "So what's to keep me from ignoring the quests and running away and living to a ripe old age? I mean, if I don't complete the quests, then the gate will never be shut and the Fae will be free to roam both worlds. It's a win-win for me, right? Life and life."

He stared at the stick for a few moments. That was easier said than done. Teague wanted power, and he would do anything for it. The Grimms made a deal, it must be fulfilled. He threw the stick fragments into the bushes and turned to her, trying to get his temper under control. "That's where the Story comes in. A promise is a promise and if a Grimm doesn't complete the quests in a timely matter then the Story begins to set up the quests and to force to Grimms into it. This time without giving them a choice in which quest or how it plays out." As if they had much of a choice to begin with. "Remember when I told you the Story is alive with power? Well, it's more than that. It thinks, it breaths and manipulates you like a pawn on a chessboard. But even a pawn is strong enough to take out a queen. So think about that, will you, before you try to run from your destiny." He had to remind himself to not yell at her. None of this was Mina's fault. But she had to end this, she couldn't run.

Mina climbed off the boulder and they started their hike again. She wouldn't let them stop to find food so they kept on. So did the rain, unfortunately. Thankfully the riverbank leveled out. She looked around in dismay, "Now what? I don't think I can do this anymore." She turned to him, as if for help. He was about to make a snarky comment but before he could, Mina's clumsiness got the best of her and she slipped. Jared reached out to help her but she wound up pulling him down with her. They were falling down the hard embankment they had just climbed. Jared wrapped his arms around her and twisted them, so he was now sliding down the mud and rocks.

They came to a stop. _Ow…_ he tried to catch his breath before the realization hit him. Mina was laying on top of him, and he had his arms around her firmly. They were extremely close, closer than last night and he could feel her heartbeat. It was racing, and he realized his was, too. She still smelled faintly of strawberries and vanilla and he loved the smell on her. She still hadn't said anything or tried to pull away and Jared savored this moment.

He sensed her watching him. Jared opened his eyes, and nearly drowned in what he saw. Mina was looking at him, with such a caring expression, and she was absolutely beautiful. True her hair was a mess, but he didn't care. He couldn't form a solid thought. After weeks of being confused about his emotions with Mina, he finally knew exactly what it was that he felt without a doubt in his mind. He was in love with Mina Grimm.

And in that moment, all he wanted to do was kiss her. He had to, couldn't resist. He wanted to be with Mina for the rest of eternity. _Screw fate,_ his mind was set. She was looking at him and he gathered the nerve to lean forward and press his lips to hers. She gasped, and he froze. It wasn't rejection, right? It didn't sound like it. But that one little sound reminded him of who she was and who he was. This couldn't happen, no matter how much he -and hopefully she- wanted it. She looked hurt, as if she had wanted him to kiss her. He vaguely wondered if he had the same expression.

Jared desperately tried to think of something to say. Mina couldn't know how he felt, no one could. It was too dangerous. He realized that was why he always had an attitude towards her. It was an automatic barrier, to not let anyone in. They would just get hurt. He unwrapped his arms from her and immediately regretted it.

He pulled some twigs out of her hair, trying to not stroke the soft waves. "Next time, try not to take the whole forest with you when you fall," he gave her a fake smile. "For your Christmas tree next year." It was a lame attempt. Mina climbed off of him and he felt saddened by her absence in his arms. _Get a grip!_ Because his emotions were so out of control, he forgot to block Mina out and her emotion slipped through his mind. She felt lonely, without him holding her. It wasn't rejection, it was anticipation. Jared didn't know which one was worse, rejection or anticipation. She sat on the ground, a couple inches away.

He sat up, not making eye contact with her. Mina had to know what he had done, why he had tricked her. She wasn't going to like it. He couldn't hide it anymore, she was going to be mad enough and he didn't want her to completely shut him out. Jared looked at her, opening his mouth to speak.

But then the bear came, and she screamed.


End file.
